National Republican., 1887-08-12
THE WATER QUESTION.
The Increase OF Water Rates-now the
Game was Played.

the 26th ultimo, Col. Ludlow is represented
as saying that the bills for Waterman tax
"were sent out for the purpose Of obtaining
the information not afforded by the books,
and that was the reason why no Waterman
tax had been collected from the properties
In question"
public business to send tax bills TO citizens
to find out why the tax had not been paid.
II the tax was legal one, and the books
show ithad not been paid, one would suppose
their duty was simply to collect II In the
manner prescribed by law. IL the books ia
the water Office do not show the facts, what
tax has been assessed and what paid or
unpaid, that fact simply conf firms the pub
lie belief that matters have not been
properly attended to and that an investiga.
tlon by Congress is needed, as called for by
the resolution adopted at the meeting re-
Gently.
The fact is, as understand and believe,
that the books did not show any tax stand
Ing against a large portion OF those TO
whom these bills were sent, but that such
entry has been recently and arbitrarily
made, and that, too, where no mains have
have been laid in years, and in many in
stances where the District never laid any
This is confirmed by his statement iu the
Star Of the 26th, when he says "that In case
OF refusal TO pay the water main tax,
which cannot be enforced under tho law by
the usual means, the authorities would be
justified in cutting of the supply from the
premises"
II the tax is legal and proper one, why
can II not be enforced under the law, and
by the means prescribed by lawp The fact
is, he proposes to make a new law-one to
tax property that is not taxable under the
law, and then to enforce 1t by a means un-
known to the law In such cases. In other
words, he proposes to be legislature, ex-
ecutive, and judiciary, over and above the
laws OF Congress. All through the article
the statement is, he thinks-not that the
law provides thus and so-but he thinks
cause 1t is legal, but because II suits his
notion That may do In military matters,
but 1t won't do In civil matters, as he will
find out In due time.
The attempt to evade the responsibility
for these acts by endeavoring to shoulder it
on to their predecessors won't do, for these
acts Of which complaint is now made were
not done by their predecessors but by the
present commissioners; and the remarkable
part Of 1t is that the civilian commissioners,
especially Mr.. Webb, who ought to know
what the law is, should permit themselves
to be dragged into such action by the engi-
neer commissioner and his subordnates.
AS to the increase Of the water rents Mr..
Ludlow is reported in the Star Of the 27th
as saying "there had been no general in
crease In the water rents and water main
tax" Why include water mains in the
statement9 No one has asserted that the
main tax had been increased, although Capt.
Symons says he recommended 1t, and they
did consider It Was 1t, Jesuit like,
to convey the idea that there bad been no
increase In either the rents or the main tax9
1t certainly looks 80, and that view Of 1t is
confirmed by his statement directly follow
ipg-"that there has been no general increase
In the water rents at al, }" only "a readjust-
ment," which would increase the amount
collected 5000 or $4,000! II that is not
an increase, what is it9 "a rose by any
other name would smell as sweet" Again,
he says the 'readiustment' affects only
domestic rates, and then shows that 1t af-
fects every house or family In the city, even
those occupying O small two-story teue-
ment, ana business houses still more. Yet
1t isn't general increase of course not!
But the equity and beauty OF the increase
Is best shown when he goes on to explain
that the increase is mainly on the third and
1t wasn't enough that under the old rates
we paid for water we did not get In the
upper stories, but his idea Of equity aud
fairness Is that we should pay still more
for what we don't get have heard aud
read Of some curious things done In the
name Of law and justice, but this caps the
climax. To make 1t complete lie need GO
but one step further, and hold that those
who don't get any water should pay still
more
A great deal has been said by the au-
thorities about the necessity for an increase
Of the water rents-that Is, before they con-
ceived the brilliant idea OF denying that
there was any increase. The statement was
made last spring that there was to be an
increase Of IL or l5 per cent, and In ex-
planning why that was necessary, Capt
Symops, in the Star of May 2s, said:
You will see that the last Congress appro.
priated s26S, ,20l69 This is the amount which
u would seem to be the duty of the eommis-
sioners TO provide for by regulating the watei
rents. For the year 1887. the revenues NIGH
amount to 5000 900 with the old rates In force
preparation by s6S,0O0. II Is to raise this SUN
that the rates have been increased, sc.
So instead Of S, 900 or $4,000 which Col.
Ludlow says the increase is to net, II Is
Gs,000. Well, that is coming pretty neal
the truth, within 600 per cent. OF it. But
how came Congress to appropriate that
amountP Listen tn what member OF the
committee on appropriations says:
The House committeecertainly had no pur
pose to increase the water rates, and IN assent
the impression, made BY ali Who conferred
with them, thatthe increased revenues justified
the expenditures.
The engineer department asked for $500 OoO
as against $lSS. 900 last year. The Senate gave
the full amount. In conference we cut II down
to s26S, ,00O. and would not have assented 10 that
increase, but that the Senate -conferees de-
department to have the benefit OF Its revenues
No word was uttered by any one at any time
limiting at an increase in the water tax,
There you have the secret of the matter.
The engineer officer goes to Congress and
asks for the increased appropriation, and
assures the committee that the income
from the water rents as they are justi6es
they have thus deceived Congress into
making the appropriation, knowing at the
time that the water rents would not pro.
duce that amount, for their books show the
amount and the annual increase OF water
takers, they then meet In secret oonclave
and arbitrarily raise the rates without the
knowledge Of the citizens or those interested,
and then when 1t is found out, and howl
goes up, these engineers have the impudence
compelled us to do 1t, don't you see. We
didn't do 1t, 1t was Congressl
In the commissioners report for 1885, p.
1S1, Lieut. McTownsend says: "It will
soon be necessary to increase the water
rents, but 1t Is not deemed advisable to do
so until, by introduction Of the new water
supply, the water takers derive corre-
spending benefit. II is believed that the
balance to the credit Of the water fund is
large enough to enable this course to be
adopted.n
That was before the purchase Of the $500
horse, &C., was determined on. 1t is
probable that In the raising of the water
rates, as In the extension Of the avenues,
his lordsbip decided to "take the bull by
the horns and put 1t through
II is Just as II was with the Massachusetts,
avenue extension. Col. Ludlow said Con-
gress made the appropriation for 1t, which
was q direction for them to do the work
only. In that case the appropriation was
not for that purpose, but for the extension
OF streets and not for an avenue at all
Wherever an appropriation was made In
that bill for street or an avenue, 1t was
specifically mentioned as street or an ave-
nue., and that item reads US follows:
For opening and extending suburban streets,